


Look at me (but not like that)

by HoshiNoNe



Category: Monty Python RPF
Genre: M/M, overly fluffy I know (sorrynotsorry)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:00:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26578714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoshiNoNe/pseuds/HoshiNoNe
Summary: Recording for "And now for something completely different" turns out to be more difficult that John had imagined.
Relationships: John Cleese/Eric Idle
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	Look at me (but not like that)

Things started to get out of hand.

That much John Cleese knew as he changed back into his usual attire after finishing his scene for “Now for something completely different”. He had done this particular sketch before, quite a lot of times actually, and today he had felt good. Good enough to wander out into the room and do his role in “Self defence against fresh fruit” better than ever. The others thought so, he himself thought so.

If only Eric Idle hadn’t ruined it all.

Eric had gotten a haircut just before coming here and was now looking younger than usual, and despite not being a real actor his light blue eyes had actually showed the entire spectre between worry and frustration. John knew the sketch by heart - Michael would suggest doing something else and Eric would interrupt with a comment about pointy sticks, making John scream at him. Feeling as good as he did, he had decided to give his all. It was a big screen movie, for God’s sake! He screamed loud enough to make his throat hurt and got so close to Eric that they easily could have done something else had the circumstances been different…

He had turned around, walked a few steps and jumped back so he was facing the others. Then he had seen Eric’s face. The surprise was almost enough to shake him out of his role - he had not expected to see such a sad look in those bright eyes, or such a pained expression on that pretty face. Looking at him physically hurt, and only due to his well-rehearsed routines he continued saying the next line, as his mind was in such a state of shock that he couldn’t think about what to say.

“And now, the passionfruit…”

That’s where they had to stop the first time. The scene was cut immediately, _like it should be_ John had thought whilst trying to manage his frustration and embarrassment. He had only met Eric’s eyes for a slight moment and still he had felt such a need to comfort the younger comedian and apologise - it was just too ridiculous to even think about.

Of course Eric hadn’t noticed anything, he had probably just assumed that John had gotten lost like he sometimes did. He looked down with an indifferent face, making John even angrier. _How can this man be so ignorant of the power he has over me?_ he had wondered as he felt a lump of fear starting to grow in his chest. Because that was the simple truth. Ever since the day the two had realised that they liked each other more than colleagues and even friends should, the walls John had built around himself had started to crack. He found himself looking at Eric more often than not and losing himself when recording a scene was no longer something that happened just occasionally. This was among the worst cases, though.

Luckily enough the director had decided to keep everything up to his theatrical jump. That meant the screaming in Eric’s face didn’t need to be done again. John prepared thoroughly and started as soon as he got the sign.

Everything went well until Michael and Eric interrupted him again.

“Suppose he’s got a bunch?”

“Shut up.”

“Suppose he’s got a pointed stick?”

“SHUT UP!”

And there it was again. The look of pure pain, and here John had lost his composure for the second time. His eyes lingered on Eric’s face a second longer than usual, but this time he could continue and finish the sketch. Brilliantly, many though, but he himself didn’t.

He was starting to get worried that the others would notice a pattern soon.

Changed and ready the tall man stepped out from the changing room, feet leading him to the lounging space where he sat down with a sigh and ordered something strong to drink. While he sipped at it, eyes closed, he felt someone sitting down next to him.

“Hi, John.”

Eric’s young and innocent look punched the air out of John’s lungs. _He looked like this when we first met, during Cambridge,_ he thought in wonder, and without realising it he put his hands on Eric’s fiddling ones. The younger smiled bashfully.

“You got lost because of me, right?” John twitched a little, but didn’t stop caressing the other’s hands. “Was I too quick to react? I know that we’re already done with that scene but I’d like to know what I can do better next time we play against each other.”

John struggled to speak. To know that Eric still felt so respectful towards him was both flattering and frustrating - but as much as it bothered him,that wasn’t where the problem lied, and he settled on being honest.

“You did everything perfectly, Eric, just like usual. It was me who just…” he stopped, took a deep breath and met Eric’s questioning eyes again. “You have no idea what you do to me, do you?” Eric looked so surprised that he almost chickened out, but he still continued. “When I saw how sad you looked after I screamed at you I was scared - I imagined it, a scenario where we actually argued and you got so sad that I had to apologise.” He looked down at their hands with burning cheeks. “You make me vulnerable, Eric, and I’m starting to think that it’ll only be a couple of days before the others see me crack and understands what’s going on, and I don’t want that to happen. I mean, I want to tell them someday, but not like that. It would make us look bad, and-“

Eric silenced him with a kiss to his hands, hiding a smile behind them and laughing with his eyes. “John, it’ll get out eventually. I get it, and I’m totally satisfied with that.” He leaned forward so that their noses touched, like during recording but for a different reason completely. “You do the same to me. Lately I’ve discovered that I also have trouble focusing when you’re this close, so close but still so far away.” His lips touched John’s as he spoke, gifted them with butterfly kisses, and John put his hands agains Eric’s cheeks.

“When we’re ready. You said it. Then that’s that,” Eric mumbled and John smiled. He drew his fingers through the short, dark brown hair and kissed his eyelids.

“Sure, when we’re ready.” He got up and pulled Eric with him. “Something to eat?” Eric smiled widely and they walked together to the cantina where the others surely waited. John finally relaxed. As long as Eric knew what he felt things were alright, and they would probably not be busted for a while. They would tell the others when they were ready.

Not a moment earlier.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this ages ago and when reading it again the other day I though to myself... "why not post it?"  
> Well, here we are~  
> I'm not entirely happy with it, but I don't think I can make it any better either so I still hope that you like it, even though it's overly fluffy and written by a non-english speaker haha (>w<)  
> Have a nice day!


End file.
